Bomb carrying glider



Jan. 6, 1948. J. MARHOEFER 2,433,998 BOMB CARRYING GLIDER- Filed June 10, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 6, 1948. In). MARHOEF R v 2,433,998

BOMB CARRYING GLIDER Filed June 10, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan 1. 6, 1948.

| J. MARHOEFER BOMB CARRYING GLIDER Filed June 10, 1944 s Sheets-Shet 3 W/TIVESS: zz-444 V Patented Jan. 6, 1948 UNITED PATENT OFFICE BOMB CARRYING GLIDEB.

Laurence. Ma h ef H d He h N; L assignor to Vidal Corporation, Camden, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application J ne 10, 9 r l No- 539,723 6' Claims. (01. 244-16) The object of my invention is to provide a bombholder glider adapted to be carried byv an airplane and to be. released therefrom while in flight and carry the bomb. to its intended target. The bomb-holder embodies the usual elements, namely, the fuselage, the wings, the ailerons and the stabilizer. The. invention comprises the. construction of the fuselage and wings and the means whereby the bomb. fuselage and Wings are assembled and secured together to form a unitary structure adapted to be suspended from th irplane.

A p ferred emb d ment of the nv i n. is hown in the accompanyin draw ngs, in which F 1. i a front view, end 2, a side view. of the complete glider.

F g. 3 is a p r p ct ve viewf the lider eleme ts. com isin t e uselage i h sta i i e atta h d. n s pi c removable hatch, a pa t of the wing structure with aileron attached, and the bomb-holding device in the, fuselage.

Fi 4 is a view, lookin longit di al y of h fuselage, of the bomb-holder.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the elements composin the wings in position for assembly.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section through the wing with skin omitted.

Referring first to Figs. 3 and 4; the fuselage a is a light shell open along the bottom and which is loaded by sliding it over the, bomb :0. After loading, the opening in the bottom is adapted to be closed by a separate hatch b. i

The fuselage, the bomb contained therein, and the win of the glider are secured together in fixed relati n by the f llowin n tructio Slings 0, within which the bomb rests, have their ends secured to front and rear pairs of straps, d and e, secured, respectively, to the outer and inner walls of the fuselage along reinforcing ribs thereon. The straps of each pair are connected at their upper ends by cross-bars f spanning the open top of the fuselage. The central section of the wing structure W is positioned over the open top of the fuselage and is connected with the bomb cradle, and thus with the fuselage, by means of rods or bolts g extending through holes in the wing and through holes in the top of straps o wh ch are ed the han ers, m, which, hen

the bomb is secured within the fuselage, extend through orifices (hereinafter described) in the wing structure. These hangers are supported at their upper ends from. the airplane (not Shown).

By means of the described construction, it will be apparent that the airplane (not shown), directly supports the bomb which in turn supports the fuselage and wing of the glider.

e Wing W of e lider. the unassem led elements of which are shown in Fi comprises a center frame and opposite wing sections the inner ends of which about against the center frame.

The center frame is composed of side bars or cross ribs 0, front bar 0., center bar and rear trailing edge bar 0 E ch wing ection. embodies e nts arran ed and connected a fQllows: Upper and lQWer front flanges r and r and upper and lower rear fl n s and a e onn ted together and s aced a definite distance by means of upper and lower sets of transverse ribs 11 and p. The upper set of connectin ri s 2 co nect. th upp r fr nt nd rear flanges 1' and 8. The lower set of connecting ribs c nne t the low r fr nt and ear anges r" and s- Oppos te in er ends o the l adin edge. t extend w th n the front flang s r an A longitudinally extending wing former a exend withi he ading ed e i an ng es th inner walls thereof. A rear lJ-shaped channel web '0 is positioned within, and engages the inner walls of, the rear flangess and s and is adapted to receive and hold the aileron w. The tip block y is applied to the outer ends of the upper and lower flanges, leading edge and rear channel web. A longitudinally slotted plate [4 is secured to the front of the center frame and a cover plate I5 is applied to the plate I 4.

The main elements of the wing structure are shown assembled in cross-section in Fig. 6.

The inner ends of the two wing sections abut against the cross-ribs or side bars of the center frame.

Applied to the top of the center frame are upper front cover or skin plate In and upper cover or skin plate ll. Applied to the bottom of the center frame are lower front cover or skin plate I2 and lower cover or skin plate l3.

The cover or skin plates H], II, l2 and i3 are provided with reinforced orifices l6. To the rear of the front bar 0' of the center frame is secured a bracket I! that encloses a channel which aligns with the orifices IS in the front cover plates. One of the hangers m (hereinbefore'described) fuselage by means forming no part of the in vention.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A bomb glider adapted to be carried by an airplane and to be released therefrom while in fiight, comprising a fuselage having a bomb-receiving bottom opening and atop opening, a closure for the bottom opening, a bomb cradle within the fuselage, means carried by the cradle adapted to hold the bomb in fixed relation with the fuselage, a wing structure the central part of which extends over the top opening of the fuselage, and means extending through the wing structure and secured to the cradle to thereby securely connect the wing structure with the fuselage, there being orifices in the wing structure through which. bomb-suspension means adapted for connection with the bomb are adapted to extend whereby the bomb, fuselage and wings may be supported as a unit from the airplane.

2. A bomb glider comprisin a fuselage having a bomb-receiving bottom opening and a top opening; a bomb cradle comprising straps on which the bomb is adapted to rest, slings secured to the fuselage and to opposite ends of the bomb straps, cross-bars connecting opposite ends of the slings, and straps connecting opposite slings and extending below the cross-bars and adapted to extend over and engage the bomb; and means extending through the wing structure and secured to the cradle to thereby securely connect the wing structure with the fuselage, there being front and rear orifices in the wing structure through which bomb-suspension hangers adapted for connection with the bomb are adapted to extend.

3. A bomb glider as defined in claim 2 comprising also blocks carried by the cradle and adapted to engage the bomb and hold it in fixed relation with the fuselage.

4. A bomb glider adapted to be carried by an airplane and to be released therefrom while in 4 flight, comprising a fuselage having a bomb-receiving bottom opening and a top opening, a closure for the bottom opening, a bomb cradle within the fuselage, means carried by the cradle adapted to hold the bomb in fixed relation with the fuselage, a wing structure the central part of which extends over the top opening of the fuselage, means securing the wing structure in fixed relation with the fuselage and bomb cradle, said wing structure having orifices through which are adapted to extend bomb-suspension means adapted for connection at their lower end with a cradled bomb and at their upper end with an airplane to thereby enable the bomb, fuselage and wing structure to be supported as a unit from an airplane.

5. A bomb glider comprising a fuselage having a bomb-receiving bottom opening and a top opening, a closure for the bottom opening, a bombcradle secured to the fuselage, a wing structure the central part of which extends over the top opening of the fuselage, said wing structure having orifices through which are adapted to extend bomb suspension means adapted for connection at their lower end to a cradled bomb and at their upper end to an airplane to thereby enable the fuselage and wing structure to be supported by the bomb.

6. A bomb glider comprising a fuselage having a bomb-receiving bottom opening and a top opening, a closure for the bottom opening, a bombcradle secured to the fuselage, a wing structure the central part of which extends over the top opening of the fuselage, a bracket, secured near the front end of the central part of the wing and enclosing a channel, the central part of the Wing having rear and front orifices, the latter aligning with said channel, said construction being adapted to permit a cradled bomb to be suspended from an airplane by means of bomb hangers secured to the bomb and extending respectively through the rear wing orifice and the front wing orifice and channel.

LAURENCE J. MARI-IOEFER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,887,627 Finger Nov. 15, 1932 990,424 Chalfant Apr. 25, 1911 1,301,083 Wolfard Apr. 15, 1919 1,403,159 Hammond Jan. 10, 1922 

